Aurora Bayless-Edwards

Advisor: Ken AhoDegree: MS Biology

Education

2016, B.A. Biology, University of Montana, MT2014, B.A. Russian, University of Montana, MT

Current Research

My research focuses on classifying plant communities in semi-arid sagebrush steppe. I am conducting research in collaboration with Dr. Ken Aho to measure, classify, and map plant communities in the Snake River Plain. Plant communities are sampled using conventional point sighting frame methods. Our classifications involve applications of several hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis methods evaluated by geometric and non-geometric evaluators to determine the optimum community assignments. The goal of the project is a local scale map, though temporal and spatial changes in these communities, may allow us to investigate interesting ecological processes in plant communities such as post-fire succession.